CONGRESSIONAL AIDE APOLOGIZES

Catalyst June Issue 2005

Scott Bloch, who heads the Office of Special Counsel, has been the subject of an on-going campaign to discredit him. At issue are his policy decisions and hiring practices. Regarding the latter, Bloch has actually been attacked for hiring Catholics!

Just when we thought things couldn’t get any worse, the campaign got even uglier when Pete Leon, an aide to Congressman Eliot Engel, literally cited Bloch’s status as “a devout Catholic” as a reason for opposing him.

As soon as William Donohue read this in The American Spectator, he sent a letter to Congressman Engel on April 27 demanding a strong response; a news release on this subject was issued the next day. “If someone on my staff were to oppose a Jewish person on your staff because he was “a devout Jew,” I’d fire him, said Donohue. He ended by saying, “I would like to hear from you what you are going to do about Mr. Leon.”

Rep. Engel wasted no time replying—he faxed a letter the same day we issued our press release. Donohue, in turn, put out a statement praising Engel for such a “speedy response,” saying he was satisfied with the outcome.